L.A. Kings Beat Nashville Predators 4-3. Phew…

Jimmie: I can’t believe this is the same car.The Wolf: Well, let’s not start sucking each other’s dicks quite yet.

We won. We scored 4 goals. Two of the goals were of the awesome variety with one timers by Alec Martinez and Mike Richards. We got into some bad habits but, for the most part, held the fort.

Thank goodness. Losing 6 in a row would have been a hard level of suck to accept, even for a Terry Murray coached team.

Hats off, hugs and kisses for Jonathan Bernier. I love him. His hybrid style leaves few glaring open spots for shooters. He may want that Craig Smith goal back but that was one hell of a shot. It had to be perfect to beat Bernier and it was. Most importantly, the Kings gave him goal support.

Oh and Penner! Wow. Yeah. Get to the net.

How about the Scoring Chance Zone? First, the obligatory diagram (click on it for the full view). Notice the new center ice design and ice ads. The AM symbol is in honor of Ace Bailey and Mark Bavis. The VIP Tickets logo is a thank you to the boys who give us free tickets for the ticket giveaway contests.

(Scoring Chance Zone)

The LA Kings and Nashville Predators had 30 shots on goal.

The LA Kings’ breakdown was 15, 11 and a protect the lead at all costs 4, per period.

The Nashville Predators’ break down was 8, 8 and 14.

The dark blue in the photos below represent the Kings. The white are the Predators. Click on the image for the larger view.

In the first period, the Kings had 11 shots within the scoring zone. That is incredible. That is 73 percent (including one goal) within the SCZ. The far majority of those shots came by the time we got the 2-0 lead. The momentum changed thereafter. The Predators only had 3 within the SCZ and one of them was the goal. Their second goal was right on the line so you could argue that makes 4.

(Kings vs Predators, First Period, Shots On Goal)

In the second period, the Kings had 7 shots within the SCZ, including both goals. The Predators had 5.

(Kings vs Predators, 2nd Period, Shots on Goal)

In the final frame, the Kings had…wait for it…1 shot within the SCZ. Ouch. The Predators had 8, their best period.

(Kings vs Predators, 3rd Period, Shots on Goal)

Final numbers are the Kings, 19 shots within the SCZ while the Predators had 16.

The Kings owned the SCZ in the first two periods and did not waste the majority of their shots on the shot mentality from the point nonsense. The Kings won the game as a result.

But, let’s take The Wolf’s words into consideration. Two big games coming up. GO KINGS!

16 replies

That said, I got the sense that after the first they went into the locker room and Murray said “Great job boys just keep up with the system!” while the other team made adjustments. The first 7:00? or so of the second looked a little rough to me like the Predators were attempting to adapt and then the Kings players themselves decided to adjust on their own and kick it back into gear.

I didn’t catch much of the third, so no real comment there, but by looking at the numbers did they get into a play it too safe situation like they tend to many entire games? All I have to say is isn’t it amazing how when you score four goals instead of two you can make little fuck ups, take unlucky bounces and endure perfect shots and still win the game? Keep that in mind Kings.

-Penner- he had two assists and proved he actually does have a heart
-Bernier- he kicked the 5 game losing streak that began last time he was in net
-Kopitar- he should just be an eternal star of every game
-Martinez- he got the first goal and set the Kings on the path to victory
-Richards- he continued to put in a solid effort and got a goal
-Gagne- he also got a goal and put in a solid effort
-Drewiske- he got out there and warmed up with the team, even though he was a scratch
-Clifford- he got an assist and had some awesome checks and cos he’s the BigRedDog
-Brown- he is our captain, and if Kopi doesn’t get a star, then Brown should
-Greene- he re-engineered the “sit the fuck down” check and turned it into the “I’m going to sit on you” check

I wanna see the Kings show some consistancy before I let Murray off the hook (not that I fully embraced firing him). I do have some philisophical differences with how he runs the team, but would stand behind him 100% if we could just score some gad damn goals on a regular basis.

Hoping we’ll score is a whole lot different than knowing we will. The last time we scored more than 2 we won, then scored 2, 2, 0, 2, and 2 en route to a 5 game losing streak. Before that, we scored 5 than scored 1, 2, and 0 enroute to a 3-1 record thanks to Quicks 3 shutouts.

… It was nice to get the win. I would have liked to have seen Bernier hold the Predators to two, but the team again played disappointing defense in front of him. None of the goals were soft ones, anyway. Welp, see you in a few weeks or so, Jon.

Brown and Stoll were the players of the night, to me anyway. Richardson had another nice game; too bad he got ice time than the immortal Ethan Moreau. Maybe Brad should look into sucking more often and taking dumb penalties so that he can get rewarded with some extra time.

Even though Doughty got a goal, I thought he and Mitchell were capable of playing a better game than they did. Greene had another really nice game. Every game I look at Jack, he looks to me like he would be better suited as a forward; his failure to clear the puck led directly to Smith’s goal – hell, Jack should have received an assist on it.

Richards played alright; got a goal but also gave the puck away a few times and got completely worked on the draw. Penner did a nice job out there; I hope that leads to better things.

Looks like Parse will be put on IR so that the Kings can activate Colin Fraser. Awesome; I guess the Kings don’t have enough bad players out there. With Hunter returning to the lineup, the team will be able to ice an All-Shit line of Moreau-Fraser-Hunter. I can’t wait for that.

In JJ’s defense he had a great game all game long. He was playing the rightside on that play, and had the puck on his stick, but had it on his backhand. I said when TM started playing him there that he’d be better, but his clears along the wall will get exposed every once in a while. That was a classic example if one of those moments.

Penner was the strongest I’ve ever seen him. He was on the ice for all 4 goals by the Kings, and the 2 he didn’t get points on, came because he was driving down the middle and drew the defenders to him to open up the back door.

… It was a better game than most for Jack, but I still saw the same stuff out of him last night that I have for most of his career. He’s good one-on-one, mano-a-mano, basic defense – but when it comes to positioning, switching up defensive assignments, making the correct choices, adjusting to different looks, he’s so lost that it’s like watching a perpetual rookie out there. Jack had one SH shift – and on that shift, the team gave up their only PP goal against because of something he did. Honestly, I think that Scuderi has to have the patience of Job most shifts. Now, don’t get me wrong … Johnson works hard; the physical effort is certainly there, but his mind isn’t working as fast as his body or as fast as the game itself.

I remember a guy by the name of Scott Young, a guy who had a long career as a wing; he won a couple Cups, had a forty goal season, etc. Young played defense in college, but made the switch to wing in the pros. I can see Jack making the same sort of switch that Young did, if the Kings are willing to wait out the time it would take for Jack to adjust to the new role.

“Penner was the strongest I’ve ever seen him. He was on the ice for all 4 goals by the Kings”

… He wasn’t on the ice for Doughty’s goal. The Kings had Clifford-Stoll-Brown up front during that one. Otherwise, I agree with you. I think he’s gonna come around. I know the guy didn’t forget how to play hockey. He was far better in Edmonton than most wanted to give him credit for, and I think the same situation’s going to take place here.

I think your being a little hard on JJ. We clearly have different reads on his play this season. Yes he doesn’t quite contain, but he’s matching up against Smith, and Legwand on that power play.

He can’t stop them from completely scoring, he’s only 1 guy, and can only contain the damage, and as I said before, that play he was on his back hand. That was the only goal he was on the ice for, and he helped the Kings score so he’s even.

The first goal against, Mitchell and Martinez were on the ice, and the last one DD and Scuds were on the ice. DD, and JJ helped score a goal, and Martinez scored himself to make up for the goal scored against. so he was even too.

And your right, I thought it was Penner screening on DD’s goal, but when I watched it again, it was Stolls line out there.

We should get him to coach Quick, so Quick can learn the proper stick work technics. “Don’t just go like your patting him on the legs…..humph………….give’m a nice shot……………..Be a bad Mother Fucker Quick”.